In accordance with the latest reports from health authorities last Monday, the last patient of coronavirus in New Zealand has successfully recovered which means that the country has eradicated the virus completely and has become the first one to be coronavirus-free among all others.
The news was celebrated with happiness and joy around the country. New Zealand is also expected to be the first country to reopen stadiums, shopping centers, cinemas, and other places of entertainment along with remove restrictions on traveling internationally as well as seating limitations on all transports.
According to sources, the last case of coronavirus infection was reported roughly seventeen days earlier to Monday and had been immediately hospitalized for treatment. During the period of treatment, the New Zealand government continued tracing and testing for potential new cases with forty thousand additional coronavirus tests.
In total, the country has tested nearly 300,000 since the government’s introduction of tracing teams. There have been no active cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand reported since the aforementioned last one.
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According to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, the government is confident that the spread of the coronavirus has been controlled in the country. However, at the same time, Arden has stated that New Zealand will continue to prepare for further coronavirus-related issues in the future.
In a recent press conference, Arden explained that We are confident we have eliminated the transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort,”
She added that “We almost certainly will see cases here again, and I do want to say that again, we will almost certainly see cases here again, and that is not a sign that we have failed, it is a reality of this virus. But if and when that occurs we have to make sure—and we are—that we are prepared.”
With the lift on international travel restrictions, more cases of the coronavirus from people coming to New Zealand are expected though the borders are closed for all except residents and citizens of the country at the moment. In the future, incoming people are expected to be isolated and quarantined upon their arrival.
According to Arden, the government is to remove all coronavirus-related restrictions except those imposed on crossing the border. By midnight, people will be able to hold and join both private and public events, gatherings as well as reopen their businesses fully along with travel anywhere in the country without limitations.
New Zealand’s success over the coronavirus pandemic is partly due to the country’s location as well as prompt efforts by the government under Arden and the cabinet. The country is located in the South Pacific, which is far away from most of the other countries which were among the first ones to experience coronavirus spread.
Therefore, the country had more time to examine the spread of the coronavirus infection and thereby, prepare for it. New Zealand was among the very few countries to impose lockdown during the early days of the pandemic which helped control the spread of coronavirus infection significantly.
Statistically, the country had only a little over one thousand and five hundred cases of the coronavirus infection as well as twenty-two deaths, which is the lowest in comparison with all other countries that have been hit by the virus.
However, even though the coronavirus in New Zealand has been successfully controlled, the impact of the pandemic on its economy as inevitable, with the tourism industry being the worst-hit in the country. Regardless of the economic issues, Monday was a celebration time for all people in New Zealand.